Atomisation device with lateral actuation

ABSTRACT

A fluid spray device comprising a reservoir ( 10 ) containing fluid; a pump or a valve mounted on the reservoir ( 10 ) by means of a fixing ring ( 30 ) for selectively dispensing the fluid; and a dispenser head ( 40 ) including a dispenser orifice ( 45 ), the device further comprising an actuator device ( 50 ) that is displaceable between a rest position and a dispensing position, the actuator device ( 50 ) being displaced in a direction that is different from the direction in which the fluid is sprayed through the dispenser orifice ( 45 ), said actuator device ( 50 ) being formed on the dispenser head ( 40 ), and co-operating with the fixing ring ( 30 ) in order to actuate the pump or the valve, said actuator device ( 50 ) including at least one actuator element ( 51 ) pivotally mounted on said dispenser head ( 40 ), the fluid spray device being characterized in that each actuator element ( 51 ) includes an actuator portion ( 52 ) co-operating with said fixing ring ( 30 ), and a presser element ( 54 ) on which the user exerts an actuation force, said presser element ( 54 ) being pivotally mounted on said dispenser head ( 40 ) and extending firstly radially away from said dispenser head ( 40 ), and secondly axially towards the reservoir ( 10 ) beyond said fixing ring ( 30 ), said actuator portion ( 52 ) being pivotally mounted on said presser element ( 54 ) and extending radially and axially towards the fixing ring ( 30 ) so as to co-operate with said ring from below, when the device is in the upright position.

The present invention relates to a fluid spray device, and moreparticularly to a fluid spray device in which the actuation forceexerted by the user is directed in a direction that is different fromthe direction in which the fluid is sprayed through the spray orifice ofthe device.

Most fluid dispenser devices, whether they be perfume, medicine, orcosmetic dispensers, are made in such a manner that the user, whenwishing to dispense a dose of fluid, exerts a force either on thedispenser head, or on the fluid reservoir, the force being directedaxially in the displacement direction of the piston or of the valve ofthe device. That type of actuation is very practical for any device inwhich the spray direction is not axial, i.e. is not parallel to thedisplacement direction of the piston of the pump or the valve member ofthe valve of the device. In contrast, for a nasal spray in which thefluid is dispensed axially in order to project the dose of fluid intothe nostril, that type of spray presents a certain number of drawbacks.

Thus, in particular, the fact that the force for actuating the devicemust be exerted in an axial direction implies that it is difficult tohold the nasal endpiece still inside the nostril while dispensing. Inaddition, that type of actuation can require a certain amount of forceto overcome the precompression of the pump or of the valve, which canpresent difficulties for certain people such as the elderly or children,and which can, in extreme cases, also lead to injury to the inside ofthe nostril. In addition, that type of device is relatively difficult toactuate by a third person who is unable to sense contact of the nasalendpiece inside the nostril.

An object of the present invention is to provide a fluid spray devicewhich does not reproduce the above-mentioned drawbacks.

In particular, an object of the present invention is to provide a fluidspray device which is simple and inexpensive to manufacture and toassemble, and which can be adapted to any type of presently-availablepump or valve, without needing to modify the design of the pump or thevalve, or of the fixing ring which fixes the pump or the valve on thereservoir.

Another object of the present invention is to provide such a fluid spraydevice which is simple to actuate, in particular in a nasal application.

Another object of the present invention is to provide such a fluid spraydevice which enables the dispenser orifice of the device to be heldstill inside the nostril while the device is being actuated.

The present invention therefore provides a fluid spray device comprisinga reservoir containing fluid; a pump or a valve mounted on the reservoirby means of a fixing ring for selectively dispensing the fluid; and adispenser head including a dispenser orifice, the device furthercomprising an actuator device that is displaceable between a restposition and a dispensing position, the actuator device being displacedin a direction that is different from the direction in which the fluidis sprayed through the dispenser orifice, said actuator device beingformed on the dispenser head, and co-operating with the fixing ring inorder to actuate the pump or the valve, said actuator device includingat least one actuator element pivotally mounted on said dispenser head,the fluid spray device being characterized in that each actuator elementincludes an actuator portion co-operating with said fixing ring, and apresser element on which the user exerts an actuation force, saidpresser element being pivotally mounted on said dispenser head andextending firstly radially away from said dispenser head, and secondlyaxially towards the reservoir beyond said fixing ring, said actuatorportion being pivotally mounted on said presser element and extendingradially and axially towards the fixing ring so as to co-operate withsaid ring from below, when the device is in the upright position.

Said dispenser head advantageously includes a lateral skirt, saidactuator device being formed in said lateral skirt.

Advantageously, said actuator device is made integrally as a singlepiece with said dispenser head.

Said actuator device advantageously includes two actuator elements thatare diametrally opposite about said dispenser head.

The actuator device advantageously includes a precompression element, sothat the pump or the valve is actuated only when the precompressionthreshold is overcome by the user.

The dispenser head is advantageously a nasal dispenser head, which,during actuation of the pump or the valve, remains steady in position inthe user's nostril.

Other characteristics and advantages of the present invention appearmore clearly from the following detailed description of an embodiment ofthe present invention, given by way of non-limiting example, and withreference to the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic section view of a device constituting anadvantageous embodiment of the present invention, before actuation;

FIG. 2 is a view similar to that of FIG. 1, during actuation.

With reference to the figures, the spray device of the inventioncomprises a reservoir 10 which contains the fluid to be dispensed, and apump or a valve (not shown) mounted on the reservoir 10 by means of afixing ring 30, which can be a ring that is screwed, clamped, orsnap-fastened onto the neck of the reservoir. The fixing ring ispreferably standard, i.e. it is not modified relative to rings used inexisting devices that do not include laterally-actuated systems. Thepump or the valve serves to dispense the fluid selectively through adispenser orifice 45 provided in a dispenser head 40. In this example,the dispenser head 40 is a nasal dispenser head, in which the orifice 45is disposed in axial manner in order to dispense the fluid inside thenostril.

Naturally, the present invention is not necessarily limited to a nasalapplication, but applies to any type of fluid dispenser device. Its usein a nasal-type dispenser device does however present theabove-mentioned advantages.

In the invention, the spray device includes an actuator system 50 whichis formed on the dispenser head 40, the displacement direction of theactuator device 50 being different from the direction in which the fluidis sprayed through the dispenser orifice 45. More specifically, thedisplacement direction of the actuator device 50 is advantageouslyapproximately perpendicular to the direction in which the fluid issprayed through the dispenser orifice 45, it being understood that as afunction of the embodiment selected for the actuator device, inparticular since it is a pivoting element, said direction is not alwaysexactly perpendicular.

In the example shown in the figures, the actuator system 50 includes atleast one actuator element 51 pivotally mounted on the dispenser head40. The dispenser head 40 preferably includes a lateral skirt 41provided with two diametrally opposite actuator elements 51 that areadvantageously made integrally as a single piece with the head 40. Inthe invention, the actuator elements 51 acts on the fixing ring 30 inorder to actuate the pump or valve. The actuator elements 51advantageously co-operate with the corner formed by the bottom end ofthe fixing ring 30 and the neck of the reservoir 10, as can be seen inthe figures. The user therefore places the dispenser head 40 in anostril, and actuates the elements 51 in order to dispense a dose offluid, said actuation being performed laterally so that the deviceremains stationary inside the nostril while dispensing, with no axialforce being exerted on the device.

In the invention, the actuator elements 51 are pivotally mounted on thedispenser head 40. Each actuator element 51 includes an actuator portion52 which co-operates with the fixing ring 30, and a presser element 54on which the user presses in order to actuate the device.

The presser element 54 is pivotally mounted at A on the head 40 andextends radially away from said head. The presser element also extendsaxially towards the reservoir 10 (downwards in the figures), beyond thefixing ring 30, as can be seen in FIG. 1. The actuator portion 52 ispivotally mounted at B on said presser element 54, preferably at itsend. It extends towards the fixing ring 30 both radially and axially,thereby signifying that it is directed radially towards the device andaxially towards the dispensing orifice 45. Thus, the actuator portioncomes to co-operate with the fixing ring 30 from below, when in theupright position shown in the drawings. Thus, the ring 30 does not needto be modified in order to incorporate specific parts co-operating withthe laterally-actuated system 50, and a standard ring can be used. Theactuator system 50, and more particularly the actuator portion 52,co-operates with the portion of the ring 30 which becomes engaged underthe neck of the reservoir 10. By avoiding the need to modify the fixingring, the present invention reduces the cost of manufacturing andassembling the device. In addition, the dimensions of the device, inparticular the radial dimensions of the reservoir and of the fixing ringare kept to a minimum despite the presence of the laterally-actuatedsystem 50.

The laterally-actuated element 50 acts like a progressive lever systemin which the transformation of the laterally-actuated force exerted bythe user on the presser elements 54 into an axial force for actuatingthe pump is at a maximum at the end of actuation, when the resistance ofthe pump or valve is at its greatest. The system of the invention istherefore particularly effective.

Advantageously, a precompression element (not shown) can be providedwhich enables the pump or the valve to be actuated only when theprecompression threshold is overcome by the user. This ensures that theentire dose is dispensed, and prevents the device from being partiallyactuated.

Another advantage of a laterally-actuated system that is formed on thehead, and that does not co-operate directly with the tank, is that itcan be adapted to any type, shape, and size of reservoir. It is notnecessary to design a specific actuator system for each reservoir.

Naturally, the invention is therefore not limited to the embodimentshown in the drawings, and the person skilled in the art can carry outany necessary modifications without going beyond the ambit of theinvention as defined by the accompanying claims.

1. A fluid spray device comprising a reservoir (10) containing fluid; apump or a valve mounted on the reservoir (10) by means of a fixing ring(30) for selectively dispensing the fluid; and a dispenser head (40)including a dispenser orifice (45), the device further comprising anactuator device (50) that is displaceable between a rest position and adispensing position, the actuator device (50) being displaced in adirection that is different from the direction in which the fluid issprayed through the dispenser orifice (45), said actuator device (50)being formed on the dispenser head (40), and co-operating with thefixing ring (30) in order to actuate the pump or the valve, saidactuator device (50) including at least one actuator element (51)pivotally mounted on said dispenser head (40), the fluid spray devicebeing characterized in that each actuator element (51) includes anactuator portion (52) co-operating with said fixing ring (30), and apresser element (54) on which the user exerts an actuation force, saidpresser element (54) being pivotally mounted on said dispenser head (40)and extending firstly radially away from said dispenser head (40), andsecondly axially towards the reservoir (10) beyond said fixing ring(30), said actuator portion (52) being pivotally mounted on said presserelement (54) and extending radially and axially towards the fixing ring(30) so as to co-operate with said ring from below, when the device isin the upright position.
 2. A device according to claim 1, in which saiddispenser head (40) includes a lateral skirt (41), said actuator device(50) being formed in said lateral skirt (41).
 3. A device according toclaim 1, in which said actuator device (50) is made integrally as asingle piece with said dispenser head (40).
 4. A device according toclaim 1, in which said actuator device (50) includes two actuatorelements (51) that are diametrally opposite about said dispenser head(40).
 5. A device according to claim 1, in which the fixing ring (30) isa standard ring to be screwed, snap-fastened, or clamped onto the neckof the reservoir (10).
 6. A device according to claim 1, in which theactuator device (50) includes a precompression element, so that the pumpor the valve is actuated only when the precompression threshold isovercome by the user.
 7. A device according to claim 1, in which thedispenser head (40) is a nasal dispenser head, which, during actuationof the pump or the valve, remains steady in position in the user'snostril.